Figure 3.

Immunological characterization of cultured endoneurial fibroblast-like cells (EFLCs). EFLCs isolated from rat normal sciatic nerve show typical fibroblastic shapes when cultured on plastic surfaces. These cells have a flattened polymorphic shape, blunt cytoplasmic processes (A, cytoplasmic staining using anti-P4Hb antibody) and large nuclei (B, Hoechst; C, merged image). Anti-NG2 (D) and anti-CD34 (E) antibodies label all EFLCs, with a perfect overlap in the merged image (F). Some of the NG2-positive EFLCs (G) are also nestin-positive (H, and I: merged image). In this area of the culture dish, most of the NG2-positive EFLCs express nestin. A few EFLCs do not express nestin (yellow arrows) and a single Schwann cell (blue arrowhead) shows strong nestin immunoreactivity but no NG2 staining. Scale bars,100 µm.